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TrackSideLive!
| Power Stroke Diesel 200
O'Reilly Raceway Park | July 27, 2007
TrackSideLive! Presented by
Team ASE
Associate Editor Charles Krall
delivers exclusive online coverage - from start to
finish - of the tough trucks and even tougher drivers of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
including Practice Times, Notes, Quotes, Photos, Audio interviews and more!
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Good Morning from Indianapolis
07-27-2007 8:33 am
Good morning from O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis! It is a sunny morning, but the weather forecasters have yet to give us the news we are looking for as they still say there's better than a 50-50 chance that we'll have some rain here throughout the day. However, the foreboding forecast has not stopped the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series teams from preparing for tonight's Power Stroke Diesel 200 here at ORP as they are pushing their trucks through the inspection line and setting up their pit stalls with every intention of racing here this evening. Even with the forecast, it is a very pleasant morning with sun filtering through a thin layer of morning haze and temperatures in the mid 70s. We should reach into the low 80s, but the high humidity is a constant reminder that we do have some rain in the forecast. Stick with us as we'll have all the news and notes - rain or shine - from ORP throughout the day!
ORP Track Facts
07-27-2007 8:49 am
O'Reilly Raceway Park has been a part of the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series schedule since the series' inaugural year in 1995. It is a 0.686 mile oval, with 7.5 degrees of banking in the corners. The racing groove is right up next to the outside wall, so any passing that is done will be done on the inside which always makes for interesting racing. The straightaways are banked at just 2 degrees and are both 699 feet long.
Who was here in 1995?
07-27-2007 8:55 am
There are a handful of drivers entered here this week that were also in the first NCTS race at ORP in 1995:
No. 4 Mike Bliss - seventh in 1995
No. 5 Mike Skinner - 1995 winner
No. 23 Johnny Benson - 1995 runner-up
No. 33 Ron Hornaday - 19th in 1995
No. 60 Jack Sprague - 28thin 1995
No. 75 Dennis Setzer - 10th in 1995
Skinner started from the pole in 1995 and led all 150 laps en route to the win (and he followed that up by starting from the pole and leading all 200 laps at ORP in 1996).
Hornaday passed Jimmy Hensley with two laps to go and went on to win in 1997. Sprague won in 1998 and 2001. Setzer won here in 2005.
No driver has run all 12 NCTS races here at ORP.
Haulers Out
07-27-2007 9:20 am
In most years, the NCTS teams have their transporters parked just behind pit road in the grassy infield. However, with flashbacks to 2005 and the rain storm that left the infield a quagmire prior to race time, NASCAR and ORP track officials have moved the rigs out of the infield prior to the start of practice. Teams will still have access to their trailers should they need them, but they will have to cross under the tunnel underneath turn four and then walk to the parking area outside turns one and two.
Schrader in from The Brickyard
07-27-2007 9:28 am
Since he is pulling double duty in Indy this weekend both at ORP in the Truck and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the No. 49 Cup car, Ken Schrader will be commuting back and forth throughout the day. Even though the tracks are geographically close to one another - just a few miles - the traffic between the two tracks during race week makes it virtually impossible to get back and forth in less than 30 minutes. Schrader just arrived here moments ago, his helicopter landing in the grass in turns three and four. After practice, he'll take off and head back over to IMS for practice, then hop back in the copter and come on back to ORP for qualifying later this afternoon.
Practice Close; Spotters to the Stand
07-27-2007 9:32 am
We are closing in on the start of the first practice here at ORP. The tell-tale signs are happening as the spotters are moving to the spotters stand and the track safety workers are out making their walk-around looking for any small pieces of debris that could possibly puncture a tire. All of the top 30 in points have cleared inspection and all of the "go-or-go-home" teams are making their way through the inspection line now.
Engines Warming
07-27-2007 9:55 am
The jet blowers are making their final pass around the track, and the teams are warming the engines and fluids as we are just a few moments away from the start of practice. NASCAR officials are moving into place and safety crews are moving into position. We should see the first trucks roll out right at the top of the hour. The weather has held off to this point, although the upper level haze has gotten somewhat thicker in the past half an hour. We'll update the weather again throughout this first practice.
Hornaday and Skinner First Out
07-27-2007 10:00 am
Ron Hornaday and Mike Skinner are the first two drivers to make their way onto the racetrack. David Starr, Terry Cook and Ted Musgrave are lined up to come out next, with Ryan Mathews also coming down pit road.We're waiting for NASCAR scoring to come up, and as soon as it does we'll update timing and scoring. Of course, we'll update all the action on the track as it happens.
Musgrave Talks
07-27-2007 10:05 am
Here is what Ted Musgrave told his crew as he brought the No. 9 Toyota down pit road after his first run on the track:
"I'm having a hard time picking up the throttle. I have to tip-toe it all the way through the corner."
Beam Facing a Familiar Problem
07-27-2007 10:11 am
Mike Beam, crew chief for Travis Kvapil's No. 6 Ford, is facing a dilemma familiar to every crew chief here at ORP since practice is during the day and the race is at night:
"We don't want to be too loose during the day and then too tight at night," Beam told Kvapil after his latest run.
Inspection Line Clear
07-27-2007 10:16 am
Just after practice started the last of the 37 trucks entered cleared inspection. All trucks are now cleared and able to practice. The last truck to roll through was the No. 61 Dodge for newcomer Brett Thompson.
Weather Coming...
07-27-2007 10:23 am
The skies to the north of the track have darkened considerably in the last few moments, and a check of the radar shows rain moving into the area. As of now, it is still dry here at the track and the trucks are still out making practice laps.
Here is the radar image as of 10:22 am ET:
Click here for Weather.com forecast for Indianapolis
Debris Brings Out Red
07-27-2007 10:33 am
Some debris has been spotted at the entrance to turn one to bring out a brief red flag. Track crews have come and gone, and we should be back to green shortly. We are still waiting on scoring monitors to come up, so we do not have a rundown to share with you at this time. As soon as that is available we'll get it to you!
Green Back Out
07-27-2007 10:41 am
The green flag is back out the trucks have thundered back on to the track. The rain has not yet started here and we have about 20 minutes left in this session. We'll keep you updated throughout the remainder as action happens on the track and update the weather at the conclusion of the session.
BDR Gear Changes
07-27-2007 10:45 am
Two of the Bill Davis Racing teams - the No. 5 Toyota of Mike Skinner and the No. 23 Toyota of Johnny Benson - made gear changes during this session.
Bye Bye Sun
07-27-2007 10:58 am
The sun that was shining over ORP has finally disappeared behind the ever increasing cloud cover. We still don't have any rain as we are just a couple moments away from the conclusion of the first practice. While we did have two quick stoppages for debris on the track, there were no incidents throughout the first hour of practice. We'll have results posted to the event bot on the main page of TruckSeries.com as soon as they are available.
TruckShots!
07-27-2007 11:09 am
Check out the sights here at O'Reilly Raceway Park in our Photo Gallery!
TruckShots
Be sure to keep checking back for more updated exclusive photos!
Headed to the Infield - Be Back Soon
07-27-2007 11:20 am
While we have a break between sessions - and it is still dry - we're going to head downstairs and try to get some scoop from the drivers and teams. We'll be back in time for rookie practice shortly.
Rookies on Track
07-27-2007 11:41 am
The rookie practice started about ten minutes ago and the track has been very busy as the newcomers are all looking to make as many laps and get as much experience on the track as they can. We are still without a scoring monitor so we can't give you a rundown, but if and when it is up we'll have a complete rundown for you. Of course we'll update any action on the track as it happens.
Practice 1 Results
07-27-2007 11:44 am
Click on the link below to check out results from the first practice, which concluded at 11 am ET here at ORP:
http://www.truckseries.com/cgi-script/NCTS_07/articles/000120/012040.htm
We're still working on getting scoring monitors up here in the press box. As soon as we do we will provide our usual rundowns throughout the remaining sessions.
Shepherd Loose
07-27-2007 11:47 am
Peter Shepherd reports to his team that the No. 50 Ford is very loose:
"The front end is right, but the back end is very loose right now. I just about crashed it going into turn three on that last lap."
Shepherd has brought his truck to the attention of his crew on pit road. They are taking out the changes they made to the truck for that last run and going back to the setup they were running previously.
Weather Ominous But Still Dry
07-27-2007 11:51 am
Click here for Weather.com forecast for Indianapolis
A look at the radar shows there is rain nearby, and there are some ominous looking gray clouds surrounding ORP, but as of yet here at the track we are still dry. It is almost reminiscent of 2005 when we were able to complete all of the scheduled practice but soon thereafter the skies opened up and forced a cancellation of qualifying. While rain has occasionally interfered with the practice and qualifying here at ORP, each of the 12 previous races here has always run on time without interference from Mother Nature.
Final Practice Underway
07-27-2007 12:01 pm
The rookie practice has just concluded and just like that the final full-field practice has gotten underway. Travis Kvapil, David Starr, and Erik Darnell were the first drivers to make their way onto the track. It's always busy during the final hour of practice but with weather a possible issue, this final session should be even busier as teams try their best to find the setup that will take them to victory here tonight. Stick with us, we'll update all the action on the track as it happens and we'll do our best to update the times throughout the session.
Unique Line at ORP
07-27-2007 12:04 pm
Like we've said earlier, there is a very unique line here at ORP. Unlike most racetracks, the groove is higher up on the track right up near the retaining wall. Watching during the early moments of final practice, the drivers actually use up quite a bit of the track when they are out there running by themselves. Entering the corners in turn one and turn three, they keep the left side tires even with the white lane marker separating the low lane and the middle lane. Once they make their way through the center of the corner, they put the white lane marker separating the middle lane and the top lane right down the center of the truck. Exiting the corner, they turn it back down and put the left side tires alongside the lower lane marker. That technique is known as "diamonding" the corner. It is the quick way around here at ORP, but that preferred line will be very hard to come by racing in traffic, giving anyone running in single file a huge advantage.
Final Practice Rundown 1
07-27-2007 12:11 pm
1. Smith 107.603 mph
2. Benson 107.313
3. Sprague 107.281
4. Musgrave 107.039
5. Bliss 106.937
6. Mathews 106.895
7. Kvapil 106.867
8. Schrader 106.863
9. Gaughan 106.757
10. Crafton 106.618
11. Bodine 106.586
12. Hornaday 106.549
13. Starr 106.545
14. Wood 106.490
15. Allen 106.435
16. Skinner 106.407
17. Shepherd 106.407
18. Sauter 105.973
19. Cook 105.819
20. Lester 105.796
21. Green 105.706
22. Lynch 105.697
23. Gale 105.606
24. Darnell 105.602
25. McCumbee 105.561
26. Crawford 105.516
27. Compton 105.421
28. Hendrick 104.960
29. Thompson 104.853
30. Schendel 104.671
31. White 104.414
32. Bjorklund 103.931
33. Setzer 103.063
Final Practice Rundown 2
07-27-2007 12:23 pm
1. Smith 107.603 mph
2. Benson 107.346
3. Sprague 107.281
4. Musgrave 107.039
5. Bliss 107.034
6. Mathews 106.895
7. Kvapil 106.867
8. Schrader 106.863
9. Gaughan 106.835
10. Bodine 106.751
11. Crafton 106.720
12. Darnell 106.701
13. Crawford 106.595
14. Hornaday 106.549
15. Starr 106.545
16. Wood 106.490
17. Allen 106.435
18. Shepherd 106.407
19. Skinner 106.407
20. Sauter 106.155
21. Setzer 106.082
22. Green 105.855
23. Cook 105.819
24. Lester 105.796
25. Labonte 105.751
26. Lynch 105.697
27. Gale 105.606
28. McCumbee 105.561
29. Compton 105.421
30. Hendrick 104.996
31. Thompson 104.853
32. Schendel 104.671
33. Miller 104.560
34. White 104.414
35. Bjorklund 104.405
Setzer Bounces Off Turn One Wall
07-27-2007 12:31 pm
There is a cloud of smoke dissipating in turn one, and a black smudge against the wall where someone has slapped it entering the corner. One truck leaving the scene slowly was the No. 75 driven by Dennis Setzer, and it appeared that the right front corner was down on the familiar Spears Mfg. Chevy. We'll head down to the infield and get a report on the damage once this session has come to an end.
Green - for now
07-27-2007 12:35 pm
We just went back to green following the Setzer incident in turn one, but there is a light rain that is now falling here at ORP. You can see drops falling in the infield retention pond in turn four. It's not heavy but it is definitely coming down. There are still trucks on the track for now as it has not started to come down hard enough to to dampen the track.
Red Out for Rain
07-27-2007 12:37 pm
The red flag is out for rain. It's still a light rain and the track is not wet at all, but the rain is coming down just a little harder than NASCAR is comfortable with. If it lets up here in the next moment or two we should be able to resume with the final 20 minutes of the session.
Keselowski an Interested Spectator
07-27-2007 12:38 pm
Brad Keselowski, the Bud Pole winner at Memphis last month, is here keeping a close eye on all the activity during NCTS practice. After nearly pulling off the win at Memphis substituting for Ted Musgrave, Keselowski picked up the ride in the JR Motorsports No. 88 Chevy in the Busch Series. He will be here in competition at ORP tomorrow night and is here trying to get as much information and education on what to expect as he can.
Back to Green
07-27-2007 12:42 pm
The red flag was a brief one as the rain has subsided and the green flag is back out. There are few takers at this time as just Mike Skinner, Todd Bodine, Brendan Gaughan, Matt Crafton, and David Starr have taken to the track.
Another Shower
07-27-2007 12:48 pm
There is another shower moving across the area and light rain is again falling here at ORP. Radar shows that this is the last little spurt for the foreseeable future, but the way the weather pattern has been today showers are popping up and dissapating just as quickly through the area. We're still green and there's just 10 minutes left in the session.
Rain Brings Practice to an End
07-27-2007 12:51 pm
With just nine minutes left in the final practice, rain has again started to fall hard enough to bring an early end to the session. Travis Kvapil was fastest in the abbreviated session, with most teams not yet able to make their final mock qualifying run. We'll have a complete rundown posted soon.
Headed to Infield
07-27-2007 12:58 pm
We're going to head to the infield for some notes and quotes. Be back soon! Don't forget to check out our TruckShots! from earlier this morning, just click on the link to the right side of the TrackSideLive! page.
Back from the Garage; Audio Coming
07-27-2007 1:59 pm
Just back from a soggy garage area in the infield here at ORP, and we'll have a handful of audio clips up for your listening pleasure here shortly. We'll also have some more TrackSideLive! updates here as well. Stick with us!
Starr's Team Doing Some Repair Work
07-27-2007 2:15 pm
In addition to Dennis Setzer - who has had to revert to a backup truck following his incident in practice - David Starr's crew is also hard at work pounding out some damage after a brush with the retaining wall. Starr's crew has to replace some of the crush panels on the right rear of the No. 10 Ford, but have completed that work and are now on to routine pre-qualifying adjustments and preparations. Other drivers have picked up an "ORP Stripe" including Jason White, Tim Sauter, Scott Lynch, and Peter Shepherd. None of those drivers did any significant damage to their trucks other than scuffing the paint off the right rear.
Rain Cancels Schrader's Flight to IMS
07-27-2007 2:18 pm
With a mid-afternoon rain keeping the track damp here at ORP, it is the same story just a few miles up the road at The Brickyard. With no imminent track activity at IMS, Ken Schrader's yellow helicopter sits right where it landed earlier this morning in the infield between turns three and four. It doesn't look like the weather will change in the next hour or so, so that helicopter may just sit right where it is until the conclusion of the race here this evening.
Weather Update
07-27-2007 2:23 pm
In the last couple of minutes, we've seen a moderately heavy rain, some light sprinkles, and right now nothing at all falling from the sky here at ORP. A look at the radar shows there is some rain over the Indianapolis area but once this rain moves from the northwest on out of here there is nothing behind it.
Hopes are still high for an on-time start for Live! Bud Pole Qualifying at 4:30 pm ET.
Riethmeyer Forced to Withdraw
07-27-2007 2:34 pm
Bradley Riethmeyer's chances to race here tonight were ended on his very first practice run as a loose seal on the engine allowed oil to leak out, damaging the engine beyond immediate repair. As a low-dollar team, Reithmeyer doesn't have a spare engine to pull out of the trailer, forcing his crew to load up and head for home. We'll have an interview with the disappointed youngster posted to the Sights and Sounds bot to the right side of the TrackSideLive! page soon.
Backup Truck for Setzer
07-27-2007 2:50 pm
Dennis Setzer bounced off the wall during the final moments of the final practice, necessitating a switch to the backup truck for qualifying and tonight's race.
His crew had to go out to the transporter parked outside turns one and two and push the backup truck all the way into the infield of the track, about a third of a mile away. Setzer, who was unhurt in the incident, did a quick interview with us before helping his team push the truck to the inspection area.
Two More "ORP Stripes"
07-27-2007 2:54 pm
Add two more drivers to the list of those who scraped the wall in practice and picked up an "ORP Stripe". Travis Kvapil was the fastest in the final practice but did that with the paint scuffed off the right rear fender of his No. 6 Ford.
Raybestos Rookie contender Blake Bjorklund also scuffed the paint off the right rear of the No. 8 Chevrolet.
Pre-race Stats Package Updated on Message Board
07-27-2007 3:55 pm
Our weekly pre-race stats package has been posted to the TruckSeries.com message board.
You can read along and discuss by clicking here!
Track Drying Underway
07-27-2007 3:57 pm
Just moments ago, NASCAR and ORP track officials made the call to fire up the jet dryers and start working on getting the track dried so we can roll for the pole for the Power Stroke Diesel 200. It is anticipated that it will take about 90 minutes to get the track dried without any further intervention from Mother Nature. Teams have still been busy going through the inspection line and moving their trucks into place on the qualifying grid on pit road. We'll update the weather again in a few moments, but as of now it's dry and we're starting the track drying process here at ORPaI.
Back to the Garage
07-27-2007 4:06 pm
With at least ninety minutes before the track is in condition for qualifying, we're going to take a quick trip downstairs to see if there is anything newsworthy going on. If so, we'll report it here first! When we get back, we'll update the situation with qualifying - whether we will qualify or set the field by the rule book - as well as the weather overall. Be back soon!
Qualifying Cancelled; Skinner on the Pole
07-27-2007 5:19 pm
Qualifying has been cancelled due to the rain, the second time qualifications have been cancelled at ORP in the past three years. Due to the starting grid being set by the rule book, current series leader Mike Skinner will start on the pole. We'll have a complete starting line up posted soon.
Rain at ORP
07-27-2007 6:56 pm
The skies have opened up and we are socked in by yet another rain shower here at ORP. Weather radar is promising, but the showers that are over the area have moved very slowly. We'll update the weather with the latest radar image shortly. As of now, NASCAR has yet to announce any change to the schedule. It will take another 90 minutes to dry the track once the rain does stop, which the forecasters do say will happen sometime this evening.
Rain Moving Out
07-27-2007 7:42 pm
The latest street level radar images show just one last spurt of rain, which as of the last update was right on top of ORP and if it continues to move at the pace it had been on its way here, it should be out of here in a matter of moments. The jet dryers are staged and ready to go as soon as this last shower subsides and if it stays dry we should be ready to race within a couple of hours. We'll update things from trackside again soon.
Jets Rolling
07-27-2007 7:55 pm
Just as we should be getting ready to drop the green flag on the Power Stroke Diesel 200, the jet dryers have rolled on to the track to start the drying process. Skies have brightened considerably in the last five minutes, and the ceiling has gone up as well. The teams have now jumped into action, uncovering the trucks and getting their pit stalls set up. We'll keep you abreast as we count down to the start of the PSD 200.
Drivers to Their Trucks
07-27-2007 9:34 pm
The jet dryers have made significant progress and the track is getting closer to condition to go race. NASCAR has just called for drivers to report to their trucks. The weather has held off for the past hour and there doesn't appear to be any more rain in the foreseeable future.
Countdown to Green
07-27-2007 9:47 pm
The countdown to the start is almost done! What seemed like an impossibility a couple of hours ago is now here. The pre-race ceremonies are now complete and all we are waiting for now is the command to start the engines. As always, we'll have all the updates throughout the Power Stroke Diesel 200 right here.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 1-10
07-27-2007 10:05 pm
10. Lap 8 - Cook and Starr race side by side for 14th and 15th, the first side by side battle for position. Cook slips up and loses the spot and another to Schrader.
9. Lap 6 - Darnell takes the spot from Compton to take eleventh, the first race for position.
8. Lap 2 - Hornaday bobbles to the inside of Skinner and falls back to second. The field now starts to spread out single file. Skinner has now led at least one lap in every race this year.
7. Skinner leads into one but Hornaday and Kvapil race him hard for the lead. Skinner leads by a nose at the stripe.
6. One to go signal given. Green flag for 200 laps of racing next time passed the start finish line.
5. Lights are still on the pace truck. The field is still in two groups setting their 30 mph pit road speed.
4. The field is in their proper alignment and has just completed the second of four pace laps. The jet dryers are still working the low side of turns one and two.
3. Jason White's crew chief Barry Dodson will be wearing a black arm band in memory of his friend Skip Prosser, mens basketball coach at Wake Forest University, who passed away earlier this week. Dodson was close with the coach, with his late son Trey receiving a scholarship to play basketball to Wake Forest before he passed away several years ago.
2. The field is rolling off their staging area inside turns one and two. It's going to take a couple of laps to get them in their proper alignment.
1. The engines have been started. Pit road speed is 30 miles an hour, while pace truck speed is 35. We will have four pace laps before we go green here tonight. Skinner, who starts from the pole, has elected to start from the outside lane giving him the prefered lane entering turn one. Gale will drop to the back after his team made unapproved adjustments during the impound.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 11-20
07-27-2007 10:24 pm
20. Lap 39 - McCumbee expresses his displeasure with Bourque in the infield following their crash. One to signal given.
19. Lap 33 - Musgrave, Wood, Hendrick, Smith, Gale, Setzer, and Cook all come to the pits. Hornaday leads followed by Bodine, Kvapil, Cfrawford, Benson, Crafton, Skinner, Sprague, Darnell, Green, Compton, Schrader, Gaughan, Starr, Mathews, Bliss, Sauter, Lesyer, Allen, Shepherd, and then the drivers that pitted.
18. Lap 32 - Bourque and McCumbee come together in turn one. Bourque backs the truck hard into the turn one wall and McCumbee has no where to go and makes heavy contact doing damage to the nose of his machine.
17. Lap 30 - Schendel drops off the pace with a sick engine. Kvapil now presses Bodine for second.
16. Lap 26 - Schendel, Thompson, and Miller have been lapped. Skinner has dropped back to fourth behund Bodine and Kvapil, with Crawford knocking on the door.
15. Lap 22 - Crawford looks inside Benson for fifth. Skinner slips up going into one and Hornaday jumps into the lead.
14. Lap 18 - The leaders have caught Borque to put him a lap down. Hornaday seizes the chance to make it a race for the lead, making it three wide through turns three and four. Borque plays the pick and allows Skinner to keep the lead.
13. Lap 15 - Bjorklund and White make contact coming out of two but both are able to maintain control.
12. Lap 12 - Schrader now looks inside Starr for 14th. He's forced to fall back and maintain the 15th spot.
11. Lap 10 - Hornaday is pressuring Skinner for the lead. They have built a 1.4 second advantage over Bodine in third.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 21-30
07-27-2007 10:41 pm
30. Lap 67 - Sauter slips and Sprague goes past, now racing Skinner for eighth. Musgrave and Smith move into the battle as well.
29. Lap 63 - Cook grazes the turn three wall. No caution. Sauter moves past Sprague to take tenth.
28. Lap 61 - Benson has chased down Kvapil and races him for fourth. Action back in the pack as Darnell, Skinner, Schrader, Sprague, and Sauter race hard for eighth through eleventh.
27. Lap 57 - Crawford races to the inside of Kvapil to take third. Benson slips under Crafton to retake fifth. Thompson brushes the wall in turn one but no caution.
26. Lap 54 - Crafton sneaks past Benson to take fifth.
25. Lap 50 - Coming to the green. Hornaday leads Bodine, Kvapil, Crawford, and Benson.
24. Lap 49 - Pits are open, but no one at the front of the field comes in. Wood, Setzer, Labonte, Cook, Gale, Miller, White, Allen, and Hendrick make stops. Miller picks up the free pass.
23. Lap 46 - Lynch bounces off the turn one wall, damaging the right rear of his machine. Caution out for the second time. Bourque has been evaluated and released from the infield care center.
22. Lap 43 - Kvapil looking to block Crawford to hold on to third. Bodine starts to close on Hornaday for the lead.
21. One to go signal given again. Hornaday leads the field to the green. Thompson and Miller are to the inside. Green flag out.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 31-40
07-27-2007 10:57 pm
40. Lap 104 - Kvapil blasts past on the restart to take the lead. The field bunches behind Allen and Hornaday gives him a love tap to move him out of the groove. Bodine and Hornaday now race side by side for second with Crawford and Crafton the top five. Allen drops back to eighth. White has been evaluated and released from the infield care center.
39. Lap 101 - We are official! Allen leads Kvapil Crawford, Hornaday, Bodine, Crafton, Darnell, Smith, Sprague, and Benson to the green.
38. Lap 97 - White's gamble for track position ends in a wad as he gets turned sideways and hard into the wall in turn one. Severe damage to the rear of that truck. Caution out for the fifth time.
37. Lap 94 - Crafton picks off Bodine on the restart. White slips up and Kvapil and crawford move past. Allen still leads.
36. Lap 91 - Allen still leads White, Kvapil, Crawford, and Hornaday too the green. One to go given.
35. Lap 85 - Thompson again gets turned sideways and pounds the turn four wall. He takes Wood up to the wall with him. Caution out for the fourth time. The lap before the crash, Bodine got into Hornaday off two and they checked up, and Crafton nudged Bodine's rear bumper and all three nearly crashed. Bjorklund picks up the free pass.
34. Lap 83 - Green flag. Allen pulls out five lengths down the backstretch as Kvapil starts to move on White for second.
33. Lap 81 - Allen and White stay out and lead. Kvapil wins the race off pit road and is third. Crawford, Hornaday, Crafton, Bodine, Darnell, Smith, Sprague, Benson, Skinner, Musgrave, Green, Schrader, Sauter, Bliss, Wood, Lester, Shepherd, Gaughan, Starr, Setzer, Compton, Labonte, Gale, Mathews, and Hendrick are the lead lap trucks.
32. Lap 78 - Hornaday leads Crawford, Benson, Bodine, Kvapil, Crafton, Darnell, Schrader, Sprague, Sauter, Musgrave, Smith, Skinner, Green, Wood, Gaughan, Bliss, Allen, Starr, Compton, Lester, Setzer, Shepherd, Mathews, Gale, White, Hendrick, Labonte, and Miller. Thompson gets a boot and spins off turn four. Caution out for the third time. Pit stops for the lead lap trucks. We'll update the rundown after the field is set.
31. Lap 74 - Cook drops off the pace and is now a lap down. Crawford looks outside Bodine for second. Hornaday leads by 3.4 seconds.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 41-50
07-27-2007 11:22 pm
50. Lap 140 - Crawford looks to move past Bodine for third but loses traction and nearly spins. He does a good job to maintain control but falls back to fifth as Benson moves past. Benson then dives past Bodine to take third.
49. Lap 136 - Restart. Hornaday again looks inside but can't make it stick through one and two, He doesn't give up and tries it through three and four and again through one and two the next lap.
48. Lap 132 - Allen and Bjorklund come together and pop the wall in turn three. Caution out for the sixth time. Allen was tapped from behind going into the turn and collected Bjorklund as he went up the track.
47. Lap 131 - Benson is racing Darnell for fifth with Schrader now racing Smith for seventh.
46. Lap 127 - Hornaday dive bombs into three and makes a run on Kvapil for the lead.
45. Lap 125 - Kvapil still up front over Hornaday, Bodine, Crawford, Darnell, Benson, Smith, Schrader, Sprague, Musgrave, Gaughan, Sauter, Lester, Shepherd, Setzer, Miller, Bjorklund, Crafton, Cook, Allen, Wood, Green Bliss, Compton, Skinner, Mathews, Starr, Hendrick, Gale, and Labonte on the lead lap. Lynch picks up the free pass and is now six laps off the pace.
44. Lap 121 - Caution out for th efifth time as Labonte spins in turn two. Kvapil leads Hornaday, Bodine, Crawford, Darnell, Benson, Smith, Crafton, Schrader, Sprague, Musgrave, Allen, Gaughan, Skinner, Sauter, Lester, Bliss, Green, Compton, Shepherd, Setzer, Miller, and Bjorklund as the pits are open. We'll reset the field once stops are done.
43. Lap 119 - Schrader moves past Sprague for ninth. Crawford and Bodine are again locked side by side for third and fourth.
42. Lap 115 - Darnell continues to use up the low side trying to move past Crafton for fifth. Benson now moves in and makes it a three way race for position.
41. Lap 110 - Smith is on the move, taking over the seventh spot from Benson. Mathews pops the wall in turn two but continues with no caution. Darnell now pressures Crafton for fifth.
Power Stroke Diesel 200 Race Updates 51-
07-27-2007 11:40 pm
66. Checkered flag - Hornaday wins over Benson, Kvapil, Crawford, and Schrader.
65. Lap 199 - Restart. Single file. Hornaday jumps but Benson stays with him.
64. Lap 198 - Sauter comes to the pits, giving up 13th spot.
63. Lap 193 - Benson takes off a quarter of a second off the lead. Allen and Wood bounce off the wall in separate incidents and the caution is out.
62. Lap 190 - Hornaday opens up a three quarter of a second lead. the front five have cleared lapped traffic.
61. Lap 189 - Restart. Lapped trucks to the inside since we aren't within ten laps to go.
60. Lap 186 - Wood, Lester, Cook, Shepherd, Crafton, Setzer, and Labonte come to the pits. Hornaday leads Benson, Kvapil, Crawford, Bodine, Darnell, Schrader, Smith, Sprague, Musgrave, Gaughan, Bliss, Green, Sauter, Starr, Skinner, Hendrick, Crafton, Setzer, and Lester on the lead lap.
59. Lap 184 - Shepherd gets a tap from behind and slides into the turn four wall, damaging the rear of his truck. It's the opposite of Milwaukee, with Hornaday leading and Benson on his bumper on a late race restart. We should have approximately ten laps to race once we go back to green.
58. Lap 182 - Lapped traffic will be an issue and Hornaday has a pack of six drivers racing for position directly in front of him.
57. Lap 176 - Hornaday leads by 0.9 seconds over Benson, Kvapil, Crawford, Bodine, Darnell, Schrader, Smith, Sprague and Musgrave.
56. Lap 170 - Hornaday has won the battle with Benson, and has moved up to race past Kvapil for the lead. Benson also moves past to take over second and again starts his pursuit of Hornaday for the lead.
55. Lap 166 - Crawford has finally moved past Bodine for fourth. He has also literally used up the rear bumper on Bodine's truck, which is now dragging behind. NASCAR officials are closely watching Bodine's truck to see if that lose bumper cover will cause a problem.
54. Lap 161 - Benson gets a run on Hornaday through the center of one and two but Hornaday gets bite off the top side and out drags him down the backstretch. These two have been side by side for nearly 20 laps.
53. Lap 154 - Sprague moves under Gaughan off turn two to take ninth. Benson is still working underneath Hornaday for second. Kvapil now leads by 1.1 seconds.
53. Lap 149 - Setzer and Shepherd race hard for 15th. Benson now races Hornaday for second. Both have closed in slightly on Kvapil, who now leads by, 0.9 seconds.
52. Lap 146 - Starr pushes up in turn one and slides into Miller who nearly collects the wall.
51. Lap 144 - Crawford again looks inside Bodine and just like last time the truck breaks loose and he almost spins.
Power Stroke Diesel 200: Unofficial Results
07-28-2007 12:11 am
1. Hornaday
2. Benson
3. Kvapil
4. Crawford
5. Schrader
6. Bodine
7. Darnell
8. Smith
9. Sprague
10. Gaughan
11. Bliss
12. Musgrave
13. Setzer
14. Crafton
15. Green
16. Lester
17. Starr
18. Sauter
19. Hendrick
20. Skinner
21. Shepherd
22. Compton
23. Miller
24. Gale
25. Mathews
26. Cook
27. Labonte
28. Wood
29. Allen
30. Bjorklund
31. Lynch
32. White
33. Thompson
34. McCumbee
35. Schendel
36. Bourque
Hornaday Takes Second at ORP
07-28-2007 12:11 am
Ron Hornaday won the Power Stroke Diesel 200 Friday night at O'Reilly Raceway Park, holding off a determined Johnny Benson to take his 17th career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series short track victory. Benson worked Hornaday for nearly 25 laps as they chased leader Travis Kvapil but was able to make the pass. Hornaday then chased down Kvapil to take the lead and march on to the win. Benson, Kvapil, Rick Crawford and Ken Schrader rounded out the top five finishers.
TruckSeries.com will have a complete report to follow.
Good Night from ORP
07-28-2007 1:53 am
We know it's late, but we appreciate you sticking with us and catching our complete coverage of the Power Stroke Diesel 200 from here at O'Reilly Raceway Park. This is always one of the drivers and the teams favorite events of the season, and while the fans had to sit through some weather here they wait sure paid off as they saw one of the best races in recent memory on a short track. The battle between Ron Hornaday and Johnny Benson was epic, with neither one giving an inch, but neither taking an inch either and the fans were treated to nearly 40 laps of hard side by side racing for position.
Congratulations to Ron Hornaday, Rick Ren, and the entire KHI crew on their third win of the season. Also our thanks go out to Scott Smith and everyone here at ORP for their wonderful hospitality and assistance throughout the day here.
Thanks again to all of you for staying deep into the night and checking out TrackSideLive! We'll see you next on August 10 from the Nashville Superspeedway. Until then, good night everybody!
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